Lieutenant Commander Erin Sutherland was a Starfleet officer in the 2260s. In 2267, Sutherland was serving aboard the USS Defiant when it encountered the cloaked IKS Kretoq, which was launching buoys for the Defiant to detect in order to test the ship's new cloaking device. Sutherland reported to the captain on the design and uses of these buoys. (ST novella: The First Peer) By 2268, Sutherland had transferred to the USS Kongo and had been replaced by Lieutenant Commander Clarissa Nyn. (VAN novel: What Judgments Come)